Lubricator.



W. J. PAUL.

LUBRIOATOR. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE. 11, 1904. RENEWED APR.18, 1913.

1,078,268, I Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 1.

JJ. PAUL.

LUBRIOATOR. ,APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 11, 1904. RENEWED APR. 18, 1913.

1,078,268, I Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

2 SHEET S-SHEET 2.

"To all whom it may concern irRn srAri s r riinr ()FFICE.

WILLIAM J. FAUL, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,-ASSIG1\TOR T0 WILLIAM J. FAUL 00.,or New YORK, N. Y. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LUBRIGATOR.

Patented NOV. 11, 1913 Application filed June 11, 1904, Serial No.212,182. Renewed. April 18,1913. SeriaLNO. 762,095.

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Lubricators, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a side elevation of alubricator constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview of one of the valves governing the flow of the lubricant. Fig. 8 isa vertical section partly in elevation of the oil feeding device. Fig. 4is a detail sectional View of the front portionof a locomotive engineshowing the feed pipe connecting with the so-called dry pipe of theengine.

This invention relates to lubricating devices for engines, particularlyfor locomotive engines and traction engines, wherein the lubricant forthe working cylinders of ture of the lubricator, whereby fluctuations inthe pressure of the steam in the dry-pipe and in the boiler arecounteracted, so that a steady supply of the lubricant is fed into theworking cylinders of the engine; the

flow of the lubricant being maintained in uniform quantity and under anearly constant pressure, regardless of the variations} in the steampressure in the boiler, actuatcup 12 from the condensing coil 21. Thising the feeding mechanism, and the pressure of the steam in the dry-pipe'to which the lubricant is delivered.

The invention further consists of devising the means whereby thelubricant is delivered to the working cylinders of the en ginecontinuously, while the engine is working, whether the fluid driving theengine (for instance, steam) is fed to the working cylinders or not.

The above described drawings illustrate.

a device, constructed according to my invention, applied to an ordinaryrailroad locomotive, or traction engine.

In the oil cup 12, of suflicient size and cylindrical in shape, andclosed by lid piston 13 is snugly fitted and its stein 14: is

J. FAUL, of

snugly fitted in a bore in lid15, The bore in lid 15 may be packed orsupplemented by a stufling box. Another aperture, shown to be closed byplug 17, is provided in the lid 15 for filling the cup 12, above thepiston 13, with oil or other lubricant. Fitting 2, also set in lid 15,serves for connecting thereto pipes 28 and 28 (and if required alsoother branches) for conducting. the

lubricant to such places, as desired. In the arrangement, shown in thedrawing, pipe 28 conveys the lubricant to the dry-pipe 34, from wherethe lubricant is drawn, with the v steam, into the working cylinders ofthe engine, and pipe 28" to the pump, feeding the boiler. Check valves 5and 5 are set in pipes 28 and 28 to regulate the flow of the lubricant.Trap bends 40 and 10 are provided to trap the oil against these valves.

Pipe 20 screwed in the bottom of the oil cup 12 communicates through theport 19 with the interior of the cup, underneath the piston 13. Fit-ting4., screwed on the end of pipe20, connectson one side with the siphonpipe 24 and on the other with pipe 16 leading to condensing coil 21.This coil is in turn connected by pipe 7 with the interior of the boilerof the engine. Valve 27 is provided in this connection to admit (orshutoff) steam from the boiler to the coil,

whereas, valves 25, set in pipe 2 1, and 25, set in pipe 16, control theadmission of the water from the coil 21 to, and its discharge from, theinterior of the cup underneath piston 13. The pressure of the steam inthe boiler acts upon the-piston 13 to force the oil into the feed pipes28 and 28 by its pressure upon the water driven into the oil waterpasses through pipe 20 in the space below the piston 18, and serves alsoto resist the downward motion of the piston at such moments when thepressure of the steam in the dry-pipe exceeds that of the steam in theboiler. To this end the return flow of the water from theoil cup 12 intocoil 21 is retarded first at the port 19, whose cross-sectional area isvery much smaller than that of the piston 13 and then again by theneedle valve 23 set in pipe 16.

,These' successive reductions in the crosssectional area of the conduitbetween the oil cup 12 and the coil 21 divide the strain I of; theresistance and make the action of the device safely eifective inpreventing, in connection with the other devices described farther on,the drivingofjt-he oil from the feed pipes 28 and 28 back into the cup,and thus effectively prevent the stopping of the feed Whenever thedriving force of the steam in the boiler is overcome by a momentary-Qin'crease of the steam pressure in the drypipe above that in theboiler.

In ,placeof the needle valve 23, other means. for reducingthecross-se'ctional area of pipeilti, may be used. It is, however,preferable to use a needle valve for this purpose, because thereby theextent of the reduction may be controlled and the use of a needlevalvealso permits the shutting off of .theconnection with the coil 2lduring the operation of .re-fill'ing the oil cup 12 with a freshsupply.oflubricant. This is not es- 'sential,though advantageous. It is,how- 'ever',-'ne'cessary for the proper operation of the apparatus, thatthe cross-sectional area of the connection between pipe 20' and the;,coil 2l.be reduced at some point.

' Experience teaches, that a rigid regulating device is not capable ofproperly govern- 1 ing the flow of lubricant from a lubricatmg deviceactuated by an elastic fluid, such as steam,'and that when only a rigidgoverning device is used, the oilis wasted Whenever the pressure 1n thechamber, to which the oil is being delivered, is reduced below that ofthe steam in the boiler.

I And, again, if a back pressure valve alone be used to prevent suchwaste of the lubricant, no oil would be fed Therefore, in constructingmy improved lubricator, I combine with the devices described above, thevalve shown in Fig. 2, one or more of such valves 88 being set in pipe28, conveying the lubricant into the dry-pipe 34L (located-in the smokebox of the engine and connecting with the steam chests ,7 i .of theworking cylinders 35, as shown in detail in Fig. 1). These valves areconstructed as shown in enlarged detail in Fig.2. Each has a flap 1,hinged on a pin in a recess provided in the upper part of the valvechamber, and spring 89 is set to press the .flap into its seat. 7 Spring39 thus acts upon the valve against the pressure of the oil flowing fromthe cup. It is not made long enough to hold flap 1 closed against theflow of the oil, but it does have a retarding effect on the flow ofthe-oil and is of advantage in saving waste of the oil, when thepressure in the dry-pipe drops considerably below the pressure of thesteam in the boiler. The

valve and the interior of the valve casing are made accessible byunscrewing cover 3 to which one end of the spring 39 is secured to keepit in position. Valves 38, one or more of them as may be necessary to beset in pipe 28, are also instrumental in the maintaining of the feed ofthe lubricant and in preventing the driving back of the oil from pipe 28into cup 12 when the pressure in the dry-pipe exceeds the pressure ofthe steam in the boiler. In this latter respect it acts as an ordinaryflap or puppet valve, the traps 40 holding that part of pipe 28 betweenthem and valves 38 constantly full of oil. This arrangement, togetherwith the above described devices for resisting the downward motion ofpiston 13, prevents the stopping of the flow of the lubricant duringsuch moments when the pressure in the drypipe exceeds the pressure ofthe steam in the boiler.

The aforedescribed devices are materially assisted in their action bythe throttling of the passages for the fluid moving the piston asexplained above. Lubricants are almost as incompressible as water, andwhen thus, by the throttling of the passages for the riving fluidunderneath it, the piston is held against such back pressure, as mightbe exerted on it, when the pressure in the dry-pipe exceeds that in theboiler, the oil is held within the pipe 28 by the resistance of thefluid. driving the piston, against this back pressure from dry-pipe 3 1,and the pipe 28, being filled with oil forward and rearward of thevalves 88, the pressure of the steam in the dry pipe upon the oil is, soto say, balanced thereby. Then the feed of the lubricant is not cut offas it would be if there were no means provided in the conduit forholding in the oil against such excessive pressure of the steam in thedry pipe and for the resisting the downward motion of the piston in theoil cup. And, equally, when the back pressure ceases, and whenconditions are reversed, then the spring 39 acts in a sense as aresistance which the excessive pressure in the boiler must overcomebefore the flow of oil is increased. These conditions (unequal pressure)last only a moment at a time, and therefore, the spurting of lubricantis effectively prevented by the cooperation of these devices.

The operation of the lubricating device as follows: To fill thelubricator the piston 13 is pressed as far down in the oil cup 12 as itwill go, and thelubricant filled in into the space above the piston.Then the charging aperture is closed by plug 17 valve 25 is shut, valve25 in pipe 16 opened and the needle valve 23 adjusted. Then the steamcontrol valve 27 is opened, slightly at first to admit steam to coil 21.Valve 27 is held open, and when the pointer on the indicator, connectedwith the oil cup (not described herein) begins to move, thus indicatingthe action of the steam pressure upon piston 13,

the check valves 5 and 5 are fully opened to fill rapidly the pipes 28and 28*, or either of them, with the lubricant, as may be required. Thenthe check valves 5 and 5 are adjusted to pass only such quantity of thelubricant into pipes 28 (and 28*) as is desired to be fed to the engine.When the apparatus is thus once adjusted it does notrequire any moreattention as long as there is any lubricant left in the oil cup 12. Whenthe supply of lubricant is exhausted, itis not necessary to shut off thevalves 5 and 5 to again refill the cup. To do so, plug 17 is firstunscrewed and removed and then valve 25, connecting pipe 20 with thesiphon pipe 24, is opened; then the piston 12 is pushed down as far asit will go. This pushing down of the piston forces out the water fromthe cup underneath it but does not empty pipe 20 and the part of pipe24, connecting therewith, which remain filled to about the level of thebend 2-6 in pipe 24. The retaining of this water is effected by theupward turn and curve in pipe 24:. and thus when valve 25 is againopened, the water, remaining in pipe 20 isdriven into the cup andprevents any air from entering into that space. The water is alsoretained in the part of pipe 16 between its joint with pipe 20 and valve25. This condition is quite important in an apparatus constructedaccording tomy invention, it being essential, as explained above, forthe proper ope-ration of the apparatus, that the fluid underneath thepiston should be non-elastic, as only such fluid is capable ofsustaining the piston in its position. When the lowest level of thepiston 13 is reached, the lubricant is filled in the space of the cupabove the piston, valve 25 is then turned again to close siphon pipe 24,plug 17 is replaced, and the lubricator is again in operation andadjusted as it was before.

I claim as my invention 1. A. steam engine lubricator comprising thecombination of an oil-cup, a piston fitted therein; a conduit from oneend of the oilcup into the steam chamber of the engine; a check valve inthe conduit; a trap in the conduit bet-ween the valve and the steamchamber of the engine; a steam generator, a condenser, a conduitconnecting it with the steam generator, a conduit connecting thecondenser with the other end of the oil-cup, and means for reducing, ata point, the cross-sectional area of the conduit between the condenserand the oil-cup, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. A steam engine lubricator, comprising the combination of an oil-cup,a piston fitted therein; a conduit from the oil-cup into the steamchamber of the engine; a check valve and a trap in the conduit, the trapbeing located between the valve and the steam chamber of the engine, andmeans, operatively connected with the lubricator, for driving thelubricant from the oil-cup through the said conduit, substantially asherein shown and described.

3. A lubricator for feeding the lubricant into the steam chamber of anengine, comprising an oil-cup, a piston fitted therein and a conduitfrom one end of the oil-cup, above the piston, to the steam chamber; acheck valve and an oil-trap in the conduit; a condenser and a conduitfrom the condenser to the other end of the oil-cup, underneath thepiston; a device for reducing the cross-sectional area of the conduit ata point between the condenser and the oil-cup, and a conduit from thecondenser to a supply of steam, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. A lubricator for feeding lubricant into the dry-pipe of a steamengine, the lubricator comprising an oil-cup, a piston fitted therein; aport in the oil-cup above the piston and a conduit for the lubricantfrom the port to the dry-pipe of the engine, a valve and an oil-trap inthe conduit, a spring, set to press the valve against the flow of thelubricant; a port in the oil-cup underneath the piston; a condenser, aconduit from the port to the condenser, a use dle valve, set in theconduit; and a conduit from the condenser to the steam boiler of theengine, substantially as herein shown and described, and for thepurposes herein set forth. I

5. A lubricator for continuously feeding lubricant into workingcylinders of a steam engine, the lubricator comprising an oil-cup, apiston fitted therein, a port on one end of the oilcup, a conduit fromthe port to the steam chamber, a check valve and an oiltrap in theconduit, the trap being located between a check valve and the deliveryend of the conduit; a port on the other end of the oil-cup; a condenserand a conduit from the port to the condenser, a conduit from thecondenser to the boiler of the engine, and of means for reducing, at apoint, the cross-sectional area of the conduit from the port to thecondenser; substantially as herein shown andv described and for thepurposes herein set forth.

WILLIAM J. FAUL.

Witnesses:

M. A. HELMKE, JOHN A. PAULSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G.

